After leading the Pirates back to the postseason for the first time in more than two decades, Clint Hurdle becomes the only other Pittsburgh skipper since Jim Leyland to be named "Manager of the Year."

The MVP candidate says Pittsburgh won't rest on its accomplishments: "We took the Cardinals to the limit, gave them everything we had, so it was hard not to think that it could have been us playing the Red Sox."

McCutchen received 28 of the 30 first-place votes to beat out Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina to win the MVP on Thursday evening.

So what did he do before it was time to find out if he would be crowned MVP? Relax in front of the TV and play some video games, of course.

"I had a little nerves, but it was good nerves," he told Channel 4 Action Sports' Guy Junker. "Just to have that opportunity and just to even be in this position was an honor. Now to get the MVP is an amazing honor. It’s an amazing goal and it’s something that I can look back on for the rest of my career and the rest of my life."

McCutchen did it all for the Bucs this year, helping the franchise to its first winning season and playoff berth since 1992. He was a threat at the plate (.317 batting average, 21 home runs, 84 RBI) and on the base paths (27 steals).

Pittsburgh hadn't had a league MVP since 1992, when Barry Bonds won the second and final MVP award of his Pirates tenure.